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plotscribbler · 3 years

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NSFW story time:

It was a long double at my old restaurant job. I had come back to pick up a few shifts here and there to help me have some pocket money while I got on my feet in my new home some 2 hours away.

My girlfriend got a great new job in a new town and I wasn't transitioning well. I usually welcome change but it was hard to leave the team I had, not to mention shift beers. I poured myself a tall one and sat in a booth on the patio waiting for the manager to lock up and give me ok to leave for the night.

I had another double the next day so my plan was to find a decent parking spot and pass out in the van.

I told the other closer she could leave early as it was a calm night and honestly I reveled in getting even just a few minutes to chat with Cassandra (the manager) before she cuts me off the free beer. Cass is a tom-boyish burnette, who's about 5'4" or so, and her body is that of a Pixar mom: an athletic yet curvy shape with so much ass you can see it from the front.

I'm a flirtatious guy (probably how I ended up as a server in the first place) but to be quite honest it's a miracle I haven't been fired or dumped for the things I say to Cass. She probably doesn't take me seriously, I mean how else do I manage to get nights like this where we're all alone? She's having a glass of wine and I'm keeper of a never ending pint. What could go wrong?

In my typical cringe fashion I offer her a spot at my table "because she's too beautiful to be drinking alone" and she ignores that (while sitting down at my table) before going on a long winded rant about her kids stressing her out before she could even get ready for work.

Which was extra stressful because of how her cat always wakes her up at night to use the window by her bed as a way out to go do cat business.

"The only cat business anyone should have in relation to that window; is getting onto the bed, and in between your thighs"

"hah! I wish"

"Bet! Finish your wine."

"what?"

"I'll follow you home, climb through your window and be gone before sunrise"

"I have kids you idiot" she punches my shoulder "they're gonna hear you climb into the house and if not, they'd definitely hear whatever pervery you think you can concoct in the middle of a school night. Not to mention the neighbors..."

Looking out towards the parking lot Cass pulls a cigarette from her purse.

"Hey, look at me." I pause until we make eye contact "I am 100% consenting to, and capable of..." I pause to feel calm collected and cool before continuing "- tying you up, gagging you, and fucking your brains out."

We both smile "All while pretending to climb in through your window to fulfill your rape-fantasy in a safe way that avoids prying neighbors"

She take a long drag of her cig, looking back out at the parking lot.

"Well?"

With a long exhale "I didn't tell you about my window as some kind of a hint."

"Listen, whether or not you like being taken, I would be much happier to share your bed than to sleep in my van alone."

We sit in silence for a moment. Cass staring off into the distance while I drink my pint and stare at her.

Turning to face me as she ashes her cigarette "What would you even use to tie me up with anyway?"

"The wrappings of love"

"Don't be an ass" she hits my shoulder again, harder this time "what if I were considering to indulge in your lustful insistence for a moment? Huh! How about that! What if that was your chance and you blew it!?"

"Wow, the thought of giving away control, even if only for a moment, it's insidious isn't it?" I smile again "Oh... to be honest I have soft 25' rope somewhere in the van, but my belt works fine in a pinch, might use both if you keep throwing punches at me."

"Honestly, you talk a lot of shit and the thought of humiliating you, if you can't follow through with half the nonsense that comes out of your perverted mouth, is insidious." She finishes her wine "come on!" she stands up.

"Let's go!" I cheer.

"We're not going to my house"

"Oh?"

"No, I'm not taking you home. Show me this rope"

"Alright"

We walk over to the van, in a particularly shady corner of the lot, the back half of said van is packed almost ceiling high with my music equipment I forgot to unload during the move. Part of me is thinking she's gonna troll me, so I try to make like of the situation.

"I'm not gonna tie you up in the parking lot"

"Duh, I just wanna see it."

"You're testing me? We've known each other for 4 years... I'm not a stranger!"

"No, but you say a lot of bullshit, let's say I'm just fact-checking you right now..."

I dig through the music gear in the back (knowing it's not there) "looks like you're in luck, I couldn't tie you up if I wanted to..."

"ugh, see..."

"See what? It's not like you'd consent if I did have it!"

"If you could find the rope I would let you tie my hands behind my back, but you mysteriously can't" Cass says, crossing her arms defiantly.

"You would let me rope your arms behind your back?"

"Sure! Why not? Maybe I will like it!"

"Ok, let me look in the secret hiding spot behind the driver seat." I close the hatch and open up the sliding door. There's a panel on the floor and when I open it Cass gasps.

"Gotcha!" I exclaim.

"Ok, yeah, you got me" she turns her back to me and stretches her arms out behind her. "Tie me up"

"Turn around."

"What?"

"You're not a prisoner of war, this is an intimate thing."

I close the sliding door as Cass faces me.

"Intimate? How-"

"Shhh..." I put a finger to her lips as her chocolate irises lock with my hazel ones "I'm going to take control of you now. Just say ok."

"Ok fi-oh!" she gasps as I grab her by the hips and put her up against the door of the van.

I steal the first kiss on her lips then break away, pressing her against the car with my hand on her chest. Lifting the rope over her shoulder with a flick of my other wrist I see her uncertainty.

"Be still. Do nothing unless I say so, you are perfect."

Cass' eyes light up like she'd never heard that before, like I just opened more possibility than even she knew was available.

I turn her around, pressing my hips against hers, making the rope loops over her shoulder and behind her back then mirroring this over her other shoulder.

"I thought you were going to tie my hands?"

"I'll get there" as I start to lace a knotting pattern from her left arm to her right and back again. Slowly bringing her elbows parallel to each other.

"By the time your wrists are bound you will be ensnared... all mine!" I say with a smirk "I am here to take good care of you."

"Ok, actually this does feel pretty nice, my back needed a stretch anyway..."

"I want you to let go of the control you assume day in and day out and be free. Be mine."

"You're not gonna make me call you daddy are you?"

"No, to be honest, I like being called master or god, because I have an ego that is spoiled rotten, but I wouldn't want something like this to make our work relationship impossible"

"Oh my, that's tight, will you take a picture when you're done? I wanna see."

"Just relax." as I pull her wrists together and tie the final knot "You're all tied up"

I snap a picture with my phone and lean into her from behind to show her.

"Wow this posture really forces my boobs up and out, not that you can see it from this angle"

"Yes, you look incredibly beautiful"

She grabs at my jeans "what are you gonna do now?" Grinding her butt against me.

I pin her to the van with my chest against her arms and whisper in her ear "the way you're tied up right here" rubbing her arm "is the same way I'm tied up in this parking lot." I can't help but bite her ear and smell her thick espresso colored hair "I want your lust, I want your body, and I want dominion over you"

I run my hands from the loops over her shoulders to the small space of skin on her forearms.

"Fuck...." she says with bated breath "Take me"

I wanted to tease her more, but I honestly didn't expect to get this far in even my wildest of fantasies.

Cass was already pulling at my belt, even with her hands bound behind her back she couldn't help but fight to have things her way.

"No" I push her against the van so she can't reach "You're mine right now, you do as I say."

Cass moans with mixed frustration and enjoyment, then she flips her hair into my face "why don't you make me?" wiggling that wonderfully voluptuous backside tauntingly with a wink and smile.

I know what she wanted.

So I spanked her...

This woman has so much ass, her hands weren't even a little bit in the way. I took a handful with the first smack and it was like holding the holy grail.

She cooed, making fists doomed to dangle helplessly amidst an array of slaps on her butt.

"You."

**smack**

"Honestly."

**whip**

"Thought."

**whack**

"That I."

**pop**

"Would just fuck you in this parking lot??" **crack**

"YES!" her voice echoes out in the otherwise quiet and empty space.

We both pause to appreciate the possibility of someone hearing us. I take that moment to unbuckle my belt.

"Fine, I will."

"Do you have a condom?"

"What, you mean you don't want another kid?"

"Don't even joke about that."

I'm pulling her leggings down to her ankles "I only have two packs of 3" then I'm kissing the back of her calf, up her thigh, around a pinkish red handprint, then over to her waist "so I might need a couple more if you don't mind waiting here for me"

"With my arms tied and my pale ass out for the whole wide world to see? No thanks"

"It's decently red now" my jeans fall to the floor

"I know! God..." she inhales when I feel how wet she is "I did not expect you to spank me so hard"

"You liked it" I put my dick up to her hands, letting her get an idea of what I'm going to put inside her.

"I loved it." Cass puts her bodyweight against the van, poking her ass out and spreading her legs.

I thrust along the lips of her dripping pussy while she whispers to me "will you please put a condom on already?"

I smack her clit a couple times with the tip just to hear her groan and clench her eyes shut tight.

"Put. A. Condom. On!" she growls at me impatiently before biting her lower lip.

Seeing my manager like this is giving my life new meaning. I open the driver's door to pull out one of the afore mentioned packs and put one on, leaving the rest on the roof of the van.

The secret ingredient is definitely the crime of it all. I've been shamelessly hitting on my manager since we met, and now I can't help but take my sweet ass time sliding up inside Cassandra on the edge of the parking lot outside of our job.

I always imagined a hotel room or her kitchen, never outside! Not to mention she wanted to get tied up and spanked first! *chef's kiss*

The way she gasps as I push in every inch I have for the first time gives me goosebumps. Her body feels like caramel tastes: you can't quite get enough, but almost can.

I grab her waist on both sides, feeling for that V line at the top of her wonderfully thick thighs.

"Let's start real slow beautiful" I pull back just as patiently, leaving only the tip still inside.

"I love it when you call me beautiful, I don't always feel that way..." she says, gyrating her hips towards me, making me feel like I could already explode!

Wrapping one arm around her belly and sliding the other all the way up her body to take hold of her cappuccino hair "I'm gonna love every illustrious inch of you"

I pin her against the van again, forcing her to take my love at my slow pace but it's like she can't help but push back.

Cassandra quivers with pleasure when I rub her neck. Her eyes widen with worry yet her toes curl so hard they crack when I give her neck a squeeze. "Why are you so goddamned amazing!?" she asks aloud between gasps of air and kisses.

That sends me over the top! "Fuck, ...fuck I'm coming!"

"Oh... see, it's good you have more condoms."

Still thrusting out of a burning

desire to not let this moment end "Here, I'm gonna untie you before I put another one on."

"Already?"

"Yeah, I don't want you to lose circulation"

"No, that's fine, I mean you're already putting another condom on?"

"No way am I done after just 1... did you even come yet?"

"No but I'm pretty close"

"Ok then, get in and lay down" I gesture to the middle seats of the van.

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inspired-by-the-music · 3 years

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For You: Stand By Me

Taglist: @jineunwootrash @angels-from-california @jayjaydawn

If you would like to be added to the taglist of any of this blog’s works, please ask!

Recommended Reading: For You: 4 O’Clock; these works have separate, independent, but deeply interwoven timelines.

Chapter 10: The Flower Who Bloomed in April

Sehun’s POV

Once upon a time, in a year I can’t remember, Lei wrote a note for my birthday that claimed, “All flowers bloom in April.” I guess I’m somewhat inclined to agree. That idea breaks through all of my thoughts and colors them a faint pink whenever winter melts into spring and all of nature seems to celebrate us.

I was considering that old note while pulling my car into the driveway of Lei’s house, which was too big for just her and her mother.

“What is this place?” Chanyeol asked, eyes bulging out of their sockets.

Aware that he wouldn’t rest until he received an answer, I said, “It’s Lei’s house,” and braced myself for his predictable (but still annoying) jokes.

Chanyeol almost laughed, and he reached over to ruffle my hair like I was a child. “I should have known that you’d have to visit your little girlfriend!”

The tips of my ears burned as I gnawed on my cheek. I didn’t say anything at first. After the incident at the SM Town concert when I made Lei cry, I decided to just let Chanyeol say whatever he wanted as long as she couldn’t hear. I decided not to waste my energy arguing with him.

I swallowed the uncomfortable lump in my throat. “I told you to drive yourself to your little fling’s house if you didn’t want to make stops.”

Chanyeol watched me grab the small gift box— which I asked Junmyeon to wrap— from the center console. I watched the smirk curl his lips with the realization, “Oh! It’s the princess’s birthday!” He cheered like he cared. “How old is she now?”

When I didn’t dignify him with a response as I forced the box into the pocket of my loose jeans, Chanyeol started to count the years aloud. “Okay, so if you’re turning 23 in two days, that must mean—”

“Eighteen,” I spoke flatly. “Lei is eighteen.”

“Eighteen,” Chanyeol repeated in a low whistle. “That’s crazy! You know, if we were in America, she would officially be an adult now.”

I squirmed in my seat. “Well, we’re not in America,” I reminded him. I told his obnoxious skeptical expression, “And it doesn’t matter how old she is. I’m not holding my breath until she’s an adult because, like I’ve told you a thousand times, we’re just friends.”

I almost said, “We’ll always be just friends,” but it didn’t seem like the right thing to say. Always— never— those words didn’t sound right about Lei except to say that I would always want to be good to her.

“I really don’t understand you.” Chanyeol drummed his fingers on the center console. “Doesn’t it kinda annoy you that there is only one girl who hasn’t been deterred by your resting bitch face—” I narrowed my eyes, and Chanyeol nodded— “yeah, that one!”

I rolled my eyes.

“Doesn’t it bother you that the only girl you’ve never run from— the only girl you’ve ever loved— is too young to be, like, your soulmate or something?”

“No,” I answered honestly, “because I don’t believe in soulmates.”

Probably because I didn’t deny loving Lei, Chanyeol’s jaw dropped. Once I believed that love is just wanting what’s best for someone, it wasn’t hard to admit that I loved Lei. I decided that it would be a shame to allow Chanyeol’s jokes or misunderstandings to pervert something so wholesome.

Although it wasn’t any of his business, I explained, “I’m not here to celebrate Lei’s passage into American adulthood or whatever the hell you’re thinking. Her Mom is still managing Super Junior’s tour abroad, so I promised Donghae that I wouldn’t let her be lonely all day.”

“What, so you’re gonna invite her to tag along with us again?” Almost a decade had passed since I took Lei to the Sanrio store for her tenth birthday, but Chanyeol clung to his grudge against us as if we left him alone in the arcade just yesterday.

I frowned at his childishness. “I doubt that Lei wants to waste her birthday by tagging along on our two-hour drive to your fling’s apartment. I’m just gonna give her a gift—”

“A kiss?” Chanyeol puckered his lips and made disgustingly exaggerated smacking sounds. He laughed while dodging my half-hearted attempt to swat at him.

I didn’t tell Chanyeol that I had gotten Lei a cherry blossom charm because then I would have had to tell him about the charm bracelet I got for her debut, and then he would joke about that too. I wasn’t a sensitive sort of guy— not usually, anyway— but I liked to avoid as many Lei jokes as possible.

I continued, “After I give her the gift, I’ll come right back out. Then I’ll drop you off at what’s-her-name’s place, and—”

“You should stick around,” Chanyeol urged for the thousandth time. “My girl has a friend, and—”

For the thousandth time, I responded, “I’m not interested.”

Chanyeol knew that I was opposed to dating even in the most casual sense of the word, yet he kept encouraging me to meet people who I didn’t want to meet. He kept encouraging me to kiss people I didn’t want to kiss— people who I could probably never develop any real attachment to— people who could probably never develop any real attachment to me. No matter how many times I swore that I wasn’t lonely— and even if I was, shallow physical relationships would fail to fill any void— he didn’t get I didn’t want to open myself up to women who would only ever be strangers.

Maybe I wasn’t opposed to falling in love with somebody who knew me and accepted me, but I was opposed to taking that first step into the unknown. Furthermore, I knew that I wouldn’t find my soulmate— if such a person existed despite my disbelief— through Chanyeol’s hookups.

Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t care that Chanyeol and others tried to fill their voids with people. It’s up to others to behave and experience life as they see fit. It’s not my place to determine whether their relationships are truly fulfilling. It’s just— I knew that kind of thing wasn’t for me. I had never experienced love at first sight, and I doubted very much whether it existed, and it was always clear to me that if I were ever to ‘find love’ — well, love would have to find me because I would never look first, especially not with everyone watching.

“I’m tired,” I said, and it wasn’t technically a lie, “so as soon as I drop you off, I’m going home.”

“Whatever.” Chanyeol shrugged. “If you ask me—”

Figuring that he, like Junmyeon, would try to impress upon me the importance of companionship, I said, “I’m not.”

Chanyeol continued anyway. “This is all a waste of time. I doubt that kid—” he was referring to Lei— “is lonely. I bet that boy with the big head—” he was referring to Lucas— “is in that giant ass mansion with her, eating cake, watching cartoons, or making out on the couch since the Super Junior dudes aren’t around to scare them apart.”

With his words, Chanyeol painted a vivid picture that I couldn’t quite erase from my mind. My stomach turned with my failed efforts, so I reminded myself aloud, “They’re just friends.”

“Believe what you want,” Chanyeol scoffed, “but something is going on. How else is our little princess wrapping him and you and who knows who else around her finger?”

“Just shut up and wait here.” I jumped out of my seat and slammed the door behind me before Chanyeol could say anything else to convince me to punch his face.

He rolled his window down to yell, “Jealousy is not becoming, Sehun!”

For the sake of preserving our friendship, I pretended not to hear him as I climbed the stairs and rang the doorbell. After minutes passed with no response, I figured that Lei had gone out with some friends. Although she claimed Lucas as the only cure for her loneliness, she had surged in popularity among other idols, so she could have been out with anybody. Pushing through my disappointment, I reached for my phone to text her and arrange some other time to meet— probably on my birthday.

Then, before I could press send, her voice beckoned from the other side of the door, “It’s open! Come in!”

She didn’t even ask me to identify myself. What if I was some crazed fan? Because it was her birthday, I suppressed my worry with the reminder that I wasn’t a crazed fan. I wasn’t a stranger. There was no real harm in trusting me.

Still, if she was going to be irresponsible while her Mom and Super Junior were away, I would have to appoint myself as her protector. I would have to drive by to check on her every day until their return; the daily check-in texts would do little to prevent her from inviting strangers into the house.

Nothing in Lei’s tone— except for the giggles, I realize in hindsight— prepared me for what I found behind the door. On the white couch, as if positioned to greet anyone who entered with a scene from nightmares, Lei was pinned under Lucas while SpongeBob played on the widescreen television. I tried to fix my gaze on the scattered cupcake wrappers on the coffee table, but I couldn’t. The scene wouldn’t have been so revolting if a.) Chanyeol hadn’t predicted it, b.) Lucas hadn’t been shirtless, and c.) Lei hadn’t been too busy giving Lucas her brightest smile to notice me, frowning in the doorway.

Maybe it’s best that she didn’t catch me staring at them. Maybe it’s best that she didn’t notice me until I regained my outward composure.

Once I realized that I was witnessing the last thing I ever wanted to see— what I was afraid happened behind closed doors— my heavy gaze crashed somewhere around my feet. In the reflective hardwood floor, I met my own downcast expression. Although I wanted nothing more than to forget how I looked in that moment, I couldn’t turn my head or raise my eyes without confronting the fear— the reality— of seeing Lei so close to, so engrossed with someone who—

Someone who wasn’t me.

My stomach lurched so violently with that thought that I gagged. I rushed to pack that thought, which was too jealous, selfish, embarrassing, and inappropriate to embrace, into a box in a dark corner of my mind where I could never find it again. The problem was that no matter how I tried to avoid that dark corner, I always wandered there with my eyes closed. The thought was strong enough to escape from its box, and it was smart enough to find me, and it was quick enough to chase me, and I was stupid enough to keep running long after it caught me.

I thought that my burning face, which must have been red, could have been cooled by the spring breeze. I thought that I would stop falling— I would stop sinking if I didn’t have to stand in the same room as their laughter. I would have bolted out of the house and away from the spiraling emotions that I never, never expected to experience, but I was paralyzed by Lei’s giggles filling the static air. I was numb with the desire to hear them still, even when I wasn’t the cause. Even when I needed to, I couldn’t walk away.

For a second, I think, my heart stopped. Once it started pounding again, I found the voice to ask, “What’s going on here?” It was lucky that anger— not whatever sadness nagged from that dark corner of my mind— was the primary emotion in my voice. At least, that’s what I told myself.

They stared at me with identical slackjawed, wide-eyed expressions, and I had to roll my eyes because the only alternative was to cry or something. I didn’t cry.

“Hey, Sehun!” Lei turned her smile to me, and I eagerly accepted what I couldn’t return until she hissed, “Get off, Lucas! Don’t you have any idea how bad this looks?”

Was it right to be proud of her for abandoning her laughter for the warning scowl that darkened her features? Was I proud of being the person who, by my voice or presence, forced that distance between her and others— even people like Lucas who I knew were good? Even when I reminded myself that I was just protecting her, I was stiff with guilt. It was my first time feeling that way. I didn’t like it.

“I don’t care how it looks!” Lucas transformed into a little kid when he pouted. He almost looked like Lei used to look. “Just lay still, and let me finish—”

“She said to get off,” I growled at Lucas, knowing that he wasn’t trying to cross inappropriate boundaries. He was completely innocent— almost to the point of stupidity— and I was perverting the situation by assuming the worst.

Lucas didn’t argue with me, though. He didn’t assert himself. He raised his hands in surrender, mouth falling open, and that’s when I saw that he was holding a black marker. That’s when I realized that I hadn’t interrupted any romantic moment. It was all a misunderstanding.

So why didn’t I feel better? Was the thought, the misunderstanding, the imagination that Lei had been close to somebody else terrible enough to ruin the day?

Lucas climbed off of her and stood straight as if to boast the handwriting (which I recognized as Lei’s) sprawled across his chest reading: LEICAS 4 EVA. Leicas— the word fans used to refer to their friendship and alleged romantic attraction. How foolish to make light of such rumors that could damage their reputations.

When Lei stood next to Lucas, I saw not only a tattoo identical to Lucas’s on her stomach, exposed under her white cropped shirt. Bright tattoos marked every inch of skin on her arms, legs, and even on much of her face. On one cheek was a sparkling silver heart drawn around the name Baek, penned by Baekhyun, no doubt. On the other was a larger, sloppier heart drawn around the name Ten. How childish.

As if attracted to the chance to deepen my scowl, Chanyeol barreled through the door. “Sehun, you promised you’d be right back! You said—” He fell silent at the sight of Lei. “What the hell happened to you, Princess?”

A blush broke out across the bridge of her nose as she scratched at the back of her neck. “Minseokie bought temporary tattoo markers and handed them out to all of the party guests so they could give me tattoos for my birthday! Apparently, he saw something in a movie, and—”

I blurted, “What the hell kind of movies is Minseok watching?”

And Chanyeol blurted, “Party guests?”

And Lucas told him, “Everyone’s out by the pool! Lei turns eighteen today!”

Chanyeol turned to me with a sick smirk as he repeated, “Eighteen, huh?”

I would have glared at him had I been able to tear my eyes away from Lei. Even while I glared at every mark on her body, I knew that the rage fuelling my every thought was an overreaction. I knew that I shouldn’t have wanted to scold Minseok for encouraging Baekhyun, Ten, Lucas, and everyone else at the party to make their mark on Lei.

“Come here!” Chanyeol called her toward us, holding his hand out for Lucas to give him the marker.

Because Lei and Lucas were foolish enough to obey, I had to intervene before Chanyeol could join the trend of writing on her. He probably would have written some insult on her skin for everyone to see, so I didn’t feel bad about snatching the marker and stuffing it into my pocket. “She’s a girl, not a piece of paper.”

“Come on, Sehun!” Chanyeol whined at my reaction before another smirk twisted his lips. “You’ll get your turn to mark the birthday girl!”

Lucas’s jaw dropped, and Lei grimaced, and I would have yelled at Chanyeol myself if Lei hadn’t beat me to it.

“Way to make it pervy, Chanyeol!” She rolled her eyes at him as she crossed her arms. When she rounded on her bare heels, deliberately whipping her ponytail, I caught the bright pink lettering on her shoulder reading, quite simply, “Yuta’s.” Something about that made my blood boil.

“Hey!” Kyungsoo’s deep voice preceded him. He stomped into the living room carrying a tray of uncooked meat and pointed his glare at me and Chanyeol. “Who invited you two?”

While I wondered just how many boys lurked around Lei’s house, Chanyeol retorted, “Well, it wasn’t you, Minseok, or Baekhyun!”

Kyungsoo didn’t bat an eyelash at Chanyeol’s harsh tone. Grinning faintly as he met Lei’s eyes, he shrugged. “Nobody ever invites Baekhyun, but he somehow manages to crash every party.”

Although nobody was looking at him, let alone talking to him, Lucas lowered his sunglasses over his eyes and chirped, “I like Baekhyun!”

“Anyway—” Kyungsoo resumed glaring at me and Chanyeol after smiling at Lucas— “I’m not going to allow you two to ruin the perfect pool party that Minseok and I planned for months at Manager Kim’s request!”

“Yeah?” Chanyeol’s eyes narrowed at Kyungsoo. “Well, we didn’t want to come to this stupid party anyway! Come on, Sehun!” He wrapped his hand around my arm and tried to pull me out the door that he left open, but I wouldn’t budge.

Tugging out of Chanyeol’s grip, momentarily forcing myself to pretend that others weren’t watching, I met Lei’s gaze head-on and said, “I didn’t mean to crash your party. I only wanted to tell you happy birthday. I didn’t mean—”

I didn’t mean to slip into a fight, but I didn’t say that.

“I didn’t know—”

When I pulled into the driveway, I didn’t know that I was walking into a situation where I would have to compete with Lucas and Baekhyun and Ten and Minseok and Kyungsoo and Yuta and who knows who else for her attention. Obviously, I didn’t say that either.

Chewing on my tongue, burning under everyone’s stares, I wheezed, “I’m sorry.” That was all I said those days. It never got easier.

Tugging at the ribbon in her hair, Lei said, “It’s okay, Sehun,” even though it wasn’t— even though my apology was incoherent. She tried to bite her smile as she said, “You can stay if you’re not busy.” I couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t smile at me if she wanted to.

I would have dropped everything, said anything, done anything to inspire her to give me the smile that always used to be mine, but Chanyeol tried to speak on my behalf again.

Hands on his hips and thoroughly unapologetic, Chanyeol said, “Sorry to break it to ya, Princess, but your Prince Charming promised to drive me across town to meet up with my girl.”

“Your girl?” Kyungsoo and Lucas parroted. Lucas spoke with an open-mouthed grin, and (beneath his sunglasses) hearts probably gathered in his eyes. Meanwhile, Kyungsoo spoke through a tense frown, eyes devoid of everything but sheer annoyance.

For the first time I could remember, Lei was the first to look away. “Hey,” I said so quietly that nobody else in the room noticed. Lei heard, though, and she looked up instantly despite the distance between us. I said, “Don’t worry. I only make cross-town trips for true love.”

Her smile inspired my own even after Chanyeol focused his glare on me. I tossed my keys to him. “Feel free to take my car or call an Uber or something.”

“Are you serious?” He gawked at me when I nodded my head. “You’re staying? Just because she asked you to?”

Meeting Lei’s smile, I reasoned, “It’s her birthday,” but I knew that I would have done anything she asked any day of the year. Maybe that wasn’t how things had always been— or maybe it was— but I decided once and for all that I would be responsible for as many smiles as possible from then on.

As if he heard my silent vow, Chanyeol shook his head before shouting, “Well, I’m not staying!” He slammed the door on his way out.

When Lei winced at the sound, Lucas threw a protective arm around her shoulders. Watching her lean into his embrace, I wondered if she would have been comfortable enough to lean on me if I were the one standing by her side. Knowing that I would never reach out to her first, I tried to comfort her from afar by reminding her that she didn’t have to care about Chanyeol’s outburst.

I didn’t get the chance to say anything. Kyungsoo filled the silence. “If you’re going to stay, Sehun, do me a favor. Grab the other tray off the kitchen counter. And Lei—” his entire face changed— brightened— when he said her name. I wondered if I ever looked that happy when I said it. “Can you grab the cup of sliced watermelon and give it to Mark?”

Stepping out of Lucas’s embrace, Lei winked at Kyungsoo and saluted him. “You got it, Soo!”

Because he was usually opposed to being called anything other than Kyungsoo or D.O., I almost expected him to correct her or at least tell her not to wink at him. He didn’t. Kyungsoo winked back at her. “Lucas, can you come open the back door for me?”

Lucas ran to help Kyungsoo, and I followed Lei as she skipped into the kitchen. She spun behind the counter, grabbed the clear plastic cup containing sliced watermelon, and— after popping a piece into her mouth— caught me staring at her. Eyes widening, she held the cup out to me and offered through her mouthful, “Want one?”

I shook my head, and she shrugged, giggling, “Your loss, Sehun!”

She was set to dash out the back door, but she stopped when I asked, “Why don’t I have a nickname?”

“What?” She blinked at me, smile fading until I grinned at her. With my encouragement, she smiled that genuine smile that deepened her laugh lines and wrinkled her eyes.

“You call Minseok ‘Minseokie,’ Kyungsoo ‘Soo,’ and Baekhyun—” I pointed to the silver heart on her cheek— “‘Baek.’ So why am I just plain old Sehun?”

“I dunno.” She furrowed her brow and looked up at me. “What do you want me to call you?”

I mimicked her tone. “I dunno. I can’t come up with my own nickname, Lei.”

She pointed out, “You don’t call me by any nickname either. Chanyeol calls me ‘kid,’ and ‘princess,’ but you’ve always called me Lei.”

As if she didn’t know, I told her, “Chanyeol calls you those things just to be an asshole.”

She playfully gasped, “Language, Sehun!” She swatted at me and laughed when I cried out in exaggerated pain.

To get our conversation back on track, I said, “Everyone else calls you Lei.”

She said, “Well, you’re not everyone else to me, Sehun,” with such an emphasis on my name that I swear I felt it all at once— every emotion she ever spent on me. To this day, I haven’t stopped feeling it.

Trying to distract myself, I reached for the other tray that Kyungsoo piled high with meat. I tried not to cringe when I confessed, “I’ll always call you Lei because it’s the prettiest name I’ve ever heard.” And while she was busy gawking at me, I took the chance to run away in the futile hope of escaping further embarrassment.

I have always regretted leaving Lei alone in the kitchen because of how nearly impossible it was to get her attention outside where NCT boys seemed to multiply by the second. After dropping the tray off with Kyungsoo, who manned the grill while wearing a novelty apron whose punchline made no sense, I sat back in a lounge chair under an orange umbrella and tried to calm the weird palpitations in my chest.

From that chair, I watched Minseok make his rounds around the pool with a handheld camcorder. A smile grew on his face when we locked eyes, and he almost tackled one of the NCT kids— Taeyong, I think— on his way over to me.

Holding the camera just inches from my face, he asked, “Is there anything you wanna say to the birthday girl?”

I stuttered, “Um— happy birthday— Minseok, what are you doing?”

“I’m immortalizing the best pool party ever!” He whirled around to capture footage of Johnny leaping off of the diving board. “Oh, look!” He whirled around again to record Lei walking out of the house, cup of watermelon in hand. “Here comes the birthday girl!”

Her surprised expression was short-lived. Her free hand waved to the camera as she asked, “Aren’t you hot, Sehun?”

As a matter of fact, even when shielded by the umbrella, I was in danger of sweating to death. Still, I politely shook my head. “I’m fine, birthday girl.”

“You’re supposed to always call me Lei, remember?” Lei teased, and — of course— Minseok cackled as he filmed my resulting blush. “Seriously, Sehun, if you’re hot, you can borrow some swim trunks from Lucas’s room and jump in the pool.”

I repeated, “Lucas’s room?” but Lei didn’t respond, and Minseok didn’t film my stunned reaction because he was too focused on the boy who approached Lei.

“Whatcha doing there, Ten?” She took a cautious step away from him, and he batted his eyelashes as he smiled at her.

“Turn around, Lei,” he bossed. “I wanna give you another tattoo.”

Her bangs fell into her eyes when she shook her head. Cupping her cheek, she replied, “I think you gave me enough of a token to remember this day by, thanks.”

Minseok, Ten, and I snorted.

“I’m being serious this time,” Ten swore, smile melting into an earnest expression that almost anyone would fall for. “Turn around, and I’ll give you a serious tattoo.”

Lei rubbed the base of ner neck and averted her gaze from him. She said nothing until I urged, seeing that curious spark in her eyes, “Go for it.” She and Ten turned to face me, and I promised, “If he draws something stupid, I’ll mark it out.”

Ten brandished a glittering sky blue marker, and Lei turned her back to him with a weary sigh. “If you draw something stupid, Ten, I’ll kick your ass.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Ten grabbed Lei by the waist to pull her closer. When he glanced over at me and caught my cautionary scowl, he smirked. “You and your boyfriend have me absolutely terrified, Lei. I’ll be a good boy.”

“Boyfriend?” Lei repeated in a gasp. She looked back at Ten, followed his gaze to me, and went pink in the face. “Oh.” A tiny smile played on her lips after she looked away from me. She never reacted that way when people mistook Lucas for her boyfriend. “Get your facts straight, Ten. Sehun is my Guardian Angel. Don’t taint our pure loving friendship with your filthy mind.”

Minseok repeated, “Guardian Angel,” looking to me for a reaction. I shrugged and looked away from him, but my smile spoke for itself.

“Oh, I see.” Ten nodded, still smirking. “How sweet. Anyway, what do you want me to draw?”

Lei shrugged. “You’re the artist, aren’t ya?”

“Well, you didn’t like my last masterpiece.” Ten traced his thumb over his heart on her cheek and laughed when she swatted him away. “So help me out a bit here. What’s your favorite thing in the world?”

Again, Lei shrugged, and Ten turned to me. “Well, what do you think, Guardian Angel? What’s Lei’s favorite thing?”

I didn’t have to glance up to see its faint shape in the sky to know the answer. “The moon.”

“How ‘bout it, Lei?” Ten barely glanced at her smile before penning a small crescent moon on the nape of her neck. After dropping the marker into the pocket of his black swim trunks, he puckered his lips to blow air on the tattoo.

Before I could scold him (and Minseok for filming such promiscuity) Lei rounded on Ten. “That wasn’t a part of the deal, you pervert!”

The flames in her eyes should have scalded him, but Ten didn’t flinch as he hummed, “I dunno what you’re talking about, silly.” He was bold enough to smile at her, and something about that gesture slightly quelled the fire in her eyes. “I was just helping the ink dry!”

Unconvinced, Lei blinked at him, and Ten winked at her before strutting away. Peering into Minseok’s camera, she griped, “The nerve of some boys!” and giggled before walking off, I assumed, to find Mark and give him the cup of sliced watermelon.

I swear, Minseok winked at me before he left in pursuit of the next exciting exchange to immortalize on tape. As I sat back in my chair, trying to come to terms with the fact that I had just watched somebody flirt with Lei out in the open, Lucas crash-landed into the chair nearest to me.

The chair was far away enough that he had to raise his voice to talk to me. “If you’re hot, you can get some swim trunks out of my room.”

“Your room?” I raised an eyebrow at him, but he wasn’t looking at me.

“Yep.” He rested his hands behind his head. “My room has an Avengers poster on the door, so—”

I interrupted to ask, “You have a bedroom in Lei’s house?”

Lucas nodded like it wasn’t a big deal. When I rolled my eyes and started slipping into annoyance, Lucas swore, “My intentions— they’re still friendly.”

Flatly, I told him, “Friends usually don’t move in together as teenagers.” I don’t know how true that is, but I believed it when I said it.

“Then maybe my intentions are — what’s the word? — familial.”

When I didn’t respond except to cross my arms over my chest, Lucas leaned over his seat to whisper— if you can really call it a whisper when he talked so loudly, “There is nobody here that you should be jealous of. We’re all friends, and everyone knows that Lei is totally hot—” I grimaced— “and sure, some of us are dumb enough to try to take a shot with her, but we all know about her dating ban. We all know that she would only make an exception for one person. None of us have been dumb enough to believe even for a second that the exception would be us.”

I started to tell him that I wasn’t jealous of anybody, but the words died in my mouth when I caught him looking at me over his glasses as if to imply that I was the one for whom she would cast aside logic and principles.

Although Lucas hadn’t said so explicitly, I hissed, “You should do a better job of guarding her secrets.”

Leaning back into his seat, he replied, “She doesn’t consider her feelings for you a secret.”

I couldn’t argue because he was right. As if it were all too easy— as if she couldn’t keep the words to herself— as if she didn’t want to leave the words unsaid— she told me, “You’re the handsomest person I’ve ever seen,” and “I haven’t outgrown my crush on you,” and, “I love you,” and she said my name in that way that made my heart swell, and—

I almost think that if somebody loves you the way Lei loved me, you have to surrender to love too. Maybe not at first, maybe not all at once, but eventually all of those years of being loved so completely, so unconditionally— they surrounded me, and maybe I didn’t want them to end.

In that moment when I couldn’t quite admit that I would also make an exception for one person, I could admit that if Lei wanted to love me where the whole world could watch— if she wanted to follow me again— if she wanted to hold my hand in the dark again— if she wanted to lean on my shoulder and trust me with all of her troubles again— if she wanted to take the first step toward me, I would never again try to stop her.

I was distracted from my romantic thoughts by an ear-splitting scream, a loud splash, and Lucas scrambling to sit upright in his chair and yell, “Dude, Johnny, Lei can’t swim!”

I could only shake my head. How stupid to live in a house with a huge pool without learning to swim. Obviously, I set aside my frustration and fascination that Lei had lived through childhood to jump out of my chair. I would have dove into the pool— wearing my jeans with my phone and her gift tucked into the pockets— but I stood still once Lei resurfaced, clinging to Johnny. They laughed so hard that water shot out of their noses.

Once I sat back in my seat and started to catch my breath, I mentally cursed Lei for being so irresponsible. Maybe she could stand to be careless enough to laugh in the face of near-death, but I couldn’t stand to watch it. If I was going to love her— out loud or in that dark corner of my mind— she needed to be more careful for my sake.

As soon as she found her footing in the shallow waters, she struck Johnny’s arm once, twice, three times until— still laughing— he finally released her from his embrace and allowed her to climb out of the water.

Staring down at him from higher ground, she yelled, “You ruined my shirt, Johnny!” And she wasn’t wrong. The white cropped top— now translucent— clung to her body like a second skin.

“Sorry!” Johnny grinned at her, and— again— the rage in her eyes was extinguished. “I didn’t really think about that when I pulled you into the water.” Johnny was polite enough to train his eyes on her face, but I noticed that many of the other boys allowed their eyes to drift lower.

Lei must have noticed too. After sticking her tongue out at Johnny, earning more of his boisterous laughter, she retreated to an abandoned corner by the pool. After ensuring that nobody was watching, she peeled off the white shirt to reveal the top half of her black bathing suit. Somehow, to my disappointment, all of her tattoos remained intact after being submerged in water.

From his place in the center of the pool, where he laid in a pink donut-shaped inner tube, Baekhyun whistled, “Take it off, Lei!”

When all heads turned to her at Baekhyun’s urging, she pressed the soaked shirt flat against her chest and dashed toward me and Lucas. It was kind of funny, charming in a way, that she could be so modest at a pool party where everyone— excluding me, Kyungsoo, and Minseok— was proudly shirtless.

Lucas said, “She’s really something, isn’t she?”

My face burned scarlet with the realization that anybody could have caught me staring at her. Anybody could have misinterpreted my motivations. Before I could say anything to Lucas, Lei was in earshot. I had to swallow my embarrassment.

“Move over, Lucas,” she wheezed, standing over him. When he only grunted in response, she frowned and climbed over one of his legs— which were placed on either side of the chair— to sit between them. She crossed her legs and turned her back to the pool.

“Are you asleep or something?” Lei leaned forward to lift his sunglasses, but Lucas swatted her hand away.

“No,” he answered, “I’m just trying to relax, and—” Lei lifted his sunglasses anyway, and Lucas whined, “back up, dude! You’re dripping pool water all over me!”

“Boohoo,” Lei mocked, poking her bottom lip into a pout. “I just got yanked into the pool by goofball Johnny, and then Baekhyun saw my bathing suit, and—”

“Dude.” Lucas’s calm voice thawed the anxiety etched into Lei’s features. More than ever, it was clear why they were close. “You look great! Calm down a bit.”

Lei raised her eyebrows uncertainly, tracing one of the tattoos on her thigh. “Really? You think I look great?”

Something about that bothered me. Did Lei have no idea that she was beautiful? Did the voices of those bullies from her trainee days still follow her? Had she fallen into the trap of reading online hate comments?

I didn’t know, and I never would have known how to approach the topic. I never would have known how to convince her that she was radiant inside and out. I get that beauty is usually one of those subjective concepts, but, objectively, Lei was beautiful. Anyone could have seen it from her ability to draw everyone’s attention without saying a word.

“Yeah!” Lucas assured her with a smile. “Who knows how many people were checking you out!”

I knew that he was eyeing me behind his reflective lenses, so my eyes darted away from their scene to look up at the sky.

Lei clicked her tongue. “I don’t want people to check me out—”

Before she could finish her complaint and I could feel culpable for my part in making her so neurotic, Kyungsoo tripped toward us, flip-flops slapping against the wet pavement. “I heard a scream and a splash and Baekhyun’s whistle! I would have come to check on you earlier, but the pork— I—” His eyebrows twitched as he took in Lei’s disheveled appearance. “What happened to you?”

Lei seemed reluctant to fuel Kyungsoo’s protective rage. She passed her shirt to Lucas and mumbled, “Wring that out, please.”

I knew that Kyungsoo would stand there, crossing his arms and tapping his foot, until he received an answer, and then lunch would never be finished. Stomach growling, I rose to my feet, grabbed the towel that was draped over the back of my chair, and took a protective stance behind Lei to shield her from curious stares drifting her way from the pool.

Dropping the folded towel onto Lei’s lap, I told Kyungsoo, “Johnny pulled Lei into the deep end of the pool, and—”

“WHAT?” Kyungsoo’s face went white before burning crimson. “But Lei can’t swim!”

Lei forced a smile. “I’m okay, Soo. Johnny kept a hold on me the whole time, and—”

Kyungsoo didn’t seem to hear her. He waddled to the edge of the pool, formed a megaphone around his mouth with his hands, and announced, “Attention, party people!”

In the process of lowering my head in embarrassment, I noticed that Lucas was wringing Lei’s shirt with unnecessary force. Lei was too busy drying her hair with the towel to notice and correct him, so I set to unbuttoning my shirt to offer it to her.

“Do NOT pull people into the pool— especially not the birthday girl! If you do, Minseok will tell you to get out and go home!” Kyungsoo gestured to Minseok, who forced his smile into a threatening glower that probably threatened nobody before Baekhyun yelled, “You don’t scare us!”

Minseok took a step toward Baekhyun, eliciting a scream. I rolled my eyes, and Kyungsoo shook his head before walking back to the grill.

“Lucas!” Lei shrieked and snatched her shirt from him. When she held it against her chest, what once fit perfectly was now two or three sizes too large. “What did you do?”

His only response was, “Oops.”

Lei launched the balled-up shirt at his chest, and her visible disappointment only faded when I, stifling my laughter, dropped my unbuttoned shirt over her shoulders. The sky blue fabric suited her better than me; it made sense that she should keep it, then.

She turned around, looked up at me with wide eyes, and said, “Thank you, Sehun.”

The voice that she spoke to me with was softer than the one she trusted to Ten, Johnny, Minseok, Kyungsoo, and — yes— even Lucas. Something about that made my heart swell.

I nodded to say, “You’re welcome,” because I couldn't string two words together to make a sentence when Lei was looking at me like that.

“Wow, man!” Lucas beamed at me too. “You’re a real hero!”

When Lei turned away from me to laugh at Lucas’s reaction, I crossed my arms over my plain white t-shirt. I guess I was disappointed yet again by her fleeting attention. I just didn’t hold it like I used to.

She frowned at her shirt in Lucas’s hands. “Well, you might as well just throw it away now.”

“Throw it away?” Lucas hugged the shirt against his bare chest. “Just because it doesn’t fit you anymore doesn’t mean it should end up in the trash!”

Lei’s eyebrows shot up at his passionate argument. “What? Do you want it or something?” Lucas nodded his head eagerly, and Lei shrugged before giving him his way. “Whatever. Just don’t hang it up in my closet when it’s your turn to do the laundry.”

“Yay!” Lucas squealed as he flew off of the chair. “Thanks, Lei!”

Smiling, she watched him dash into the house. Then, she took his place in the chair. She pressed her back against the chair, crossed her legs, and draped the towel over them before looking up to see that I was no longer behind her. I was before her. She gasped, raised her hands to shield her eyes from the sun, and the sleeves of my shirt— which were too big for her— slid down her arms.

“Hey, Sehun.” She couldn’t quite smile while squinting her eyes. “Having fun?”

I moved a few steps to the left to block out the sun, and she lowered her hands and laid them flat in her lap.

“I’m having a blast.” Was I being sarcastic? Probably. But I was happy to spend time with her then with few distractions.

“Aren’t you tired of standing?” She tilted her head aside. Patting the space on the chair before her, she suggested, “You can sit with me if you want. Or you can grab that chair over there, and—” She bit on her tongue in surprise when I sat on the edge of her chair at the earliest invitation.

Glancing around at the thriving party, I observed, “You have a lot of friends.” Of course, I knew it, but knowing it in theory was a lot different from seeing it in real life.

“They’re nice.” She smiled, but her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. It reminded me of the void in her chest that she tried to fill with Lucas. It reminded me of the secret that, at least in Donghae’s mind, threatened to clear out this gathering of flirtatious well-wishers.

Suddenly, she sat up straight and motioned for me to move closer. “Come here, I have to tell you a secret.”

Forgetting for a moment that I didn’t want to learn another secret for the rest of my life, I obeyed her. She whispered, “I think they like me because a.) I have a pool, and b.) no matter how much they flirt, I’ll never give in. You know, some people are into that— chasing somebody they can never catch.”

She was flirting with me, I realized, when she winked to mask the blush staining her face.

I tried to flirt back. “Are you into that?”

When she sighed, dropped our eye contact, and forced another smile, I realized that she did not yet know that she caught me. It was still the beginning of reimagining her. It was the beginning of the heart-fluttering moments. I didn’t know where the road into the unknown would lead, but I saw no option other than to follow it— to follow her.

She said, “I was raised to never chase after boys. I’ve only ever followed one—” she nudged me— “and I promised not to do that anymore.”

Even without her pointed touch, I would have known that she was talking about me. Despite the deflation in my chest, I praised her. “Good. Don’t follow anybody. Continue on your path, and if somebody wants to walk with you for a while—”

When she poked my cheek, I realized that I was frowning. Her frown mirrored mine. “Don’t look like that, Sehun. It hurts my feelings.”

For her, I forced a smile, and she laughed an airy sort of laugh. “I dunno why you’re so sentimental today, but—” her eyes widened— “oh.”

“Oh?” My forehead wrinkled. “Oh what?” My heart raced with the fear that she was seeing me clearly.

“We’re on the same path right now.” She smiled, and my heart raced with the hope that she was seeing me clearly.

“We’ve always walked together,” I told her. “It’s just—”

Seeing that I had gone stiff with anxiety, she said, “It’s okay, Sehun. I understand.”

I couldn’t quite believe that she understood, but because I didn’t know the words to explain my feelings, I didn’t say anything.

“It’s probably not going to last.” She didn’t frown, and I couldn't understand how she could smile while saying, “It— we— I know that we won’t be in the same place at the same time forever, but I’m so happy that you’re here now.”

She was crushing me under the weight of an unfamiliar sadness, but I promised, “I’m happy too,” and it wasn’t a lie.

Still smiling, she said, “You can walk with me anytime, Sehun.”

I can’t explain why remembering that makes me want to cry. She was saying something kind— loving— but her words felt so much like a goodbye. Maybe they were a goodbye to days that were already past— the days when she followed my shadow. It felt so much like she would fade or fly away or find another path or another companion if I took the time to blink.

Fear prompted me to grab her hand as if that touch would keep her within arms reach, within eyesight, with me. Her eyes were rounded and filled with every shining star, and I— I had to look away. I had to play off the act of pure affection by digging the tattoo marker out of my pocket.

“I thought you were opposed to marking me like I’m a piece of paper,” she teased.

Probably blushing, I scoffed. “It’s different when I do it.”

She asked her favorite question: “Why?”

“Because I love you,” I almost said, “and I have to show it somehow.”

Instead, I shrugged, closed my eyes, and tried to think of a drawing that would compete with— no, triumph over all of the others on her body. Ideas didn’t come easily. I didn’t watch dramas or read romance novels or even listen to romantic music that much (or at all), so I had to card through my memories until I remembered a craft I did on Valentine’s Day in the third grade.

Then, we dipped our thumb in red paint and pressed it twice to a piece of paper to make a heart to give to our parents. The idea was profound enough, I guess, since it relied on the concept that like no two fingerprints are identical, no two loves are identical.

Bearing that in mind, I coated my thumb with the marker’s black ink and softly pressed a heart into the skin on the back of Lei’s hand.

I watched her smile at the symbol. Just because I was curious to see whether she would react to me the way she reacted to Ten, I raised her hand to my lips and blew on the heart. She didn’t swat at me, glare at me, flinch away, or say anything. She just watched me.

Maybe Lucas was right. Maybe she would make any exception for me. That probably wasn’t wise or safe, so why did her lapse in judgment make me so happy?

“Okay,” she hummed. She snatched the marker before taking my hand in hers. “Your turn!”

Within the blink of an eye, she had placed her heart on my hand. I wanted to carry it everywhere with me. I wanted to boast it to everybody, but I didn’t know how to do that. I didn’t know who to tell. I didn’t know what to say to make them understand how much it meant to me.

Something about the electricity in Lei’s touch— something about the thought that the heart would fade from sight— sent me springing to my feet with the blurted excuse, “I’m not feeling well.”

It wasn’t a lie. Suddenly, my heart was pounding in my chest, ringing in my ears, and my stomach was knotting and rising and sinking, and my palms were sweating, and there was a lump in my throat, and I was sick. I fished the gift box containing the cherry blossom charm for the bracelet that she still wore— that I hoped she would always wear— out of my pocket. Careful not to allow our skin to touch, almost afraid of the shock, I left it in her palm.

I ran into the house, regretting that I sent Chanyeol away with my keys until I found him sitting on the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table.

Through a mouthful of blue icing, Chanyeol asked, “Are you done now?” He glanced over at me and sat upright. “Hey, are you alright? Your face is a little green.”

I shook my head. “I’m sick. I’m going home.”

“Okay. Let’s go, then.” He snatched my keys off the table and stood from the couch. “I was gonna leave, but I don’t know how to drive a stick shift, and—” When I reached out for the keys, he offered, “I’ll drive if you don’t feel good.”

I assured him that I was fine before beelining to the car, keys in hand.

Chanyeol was quiet until I raised my hand to the steering wheel. The moment he saw the heart, he broke into brain-rattling, side-splitting laughter. “Wow.” He wiped amused tears from the corners of his eyes. “I remember doing that craft in, like, first grade. Your girlfriend is real creative.”

Something in my stomach fluttered, and I don’t think I liked it. Tightening my grip on the wheel, I instantly retorted, “It was my idea.” I should have said, “She’s not my girlfriend.”

Chanyeol noticed my mistake. “Oh,” he nodded his head sagely, “so she is your girlfriend!”

My face flushed, and my heart pounded again, and all I could think to say was, “Shut up, Chanyeol.”

18 notes · View notes

manicpixietrashfire · 5 years

Note

Prompt: locked in the bathroom together 😛

Remember five million years ago when I got this prompt and then didn’t know what to do with it and then figured it out after another five million years????

No?

Great!

Thanks for sending me a prompt homeslice lol!! I actually love getting them no matter how long it takes!! Also please y’all check out @tracy7307‘s blog the content is p r e m i u m.

Anyway, sorry for the rant! Here’s the prompt fulfilled!

“The door’s locked, Harrington, ain’t no getting out this one,” Billy grumbled.

And yeah, Steve got that already. He perfectly understood he’s trapped in the basement bathroom of some dickwad’s house while a rager goes on above them.

They might as well be stuck in outer space.

No one’s gonna hear him scream, no probably even knows they’re down there, they’re gonna be stuck there all night. Hell, maybe even all of tomorrow too.

“Billy, where the hell did you put the fucking key.”

“I don’t remember,” he slurred from inside the dickwad’s basement bathtub.

He had his back up against the wall, legs flung over the side of the tub. He shifted around, and grinned smugly. It looked more lazy and broken on his drunken face than anything else. “Why don’t you go ahead and frisk me for it?”

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose like his mom does when she’s trying not to yell at him.

He’s not drunk enough for this.

Billy lured him down here saying there was some freaky shit in the basement, which, is astounding because Steve still has zero clue how he knew to do that because Billy doesn’t even know about the upside down.

“I’m not frisking you, check your pockets,” Steve huffed.

Billy’s head rolled against the tile. “Not in my pockets. That’d be too easy.”

Of course would be.

Steve rarely ever feels the urge to put his foot up someone’s ass. Rarely, being the keyword, and Billy being the usual catalyst.

Steve kicked back the rug in front of the toilet, finding the same tiled floor. “You’re shitting me. Where the hell did you put it?” He dumped the toothbrush holder into the sink. Nothing. And ran his fingers above the medicine cabinet.

“Hargrove,” Steve smacked his foot.

Billy hummed. A pair of drowsy blue eyes looked up at him. “You look good angry, you know that?”

Steve flushed. He really should be used to Billy and his antics but he isn’t, he’s pretty sure he never will be.

“Light does you good,” Billy muttered. “You…your eyes change color they get kinda gold, mine don’t, not that mine aren’t nice ‘cause they are. But yours are real nice too, they’re not shit brown. They’re–”

“If you’re not gonna help me look and you’re not gonna try to remember, do me a favor and stop talking,” Steve said.

He checked behind the sink and in the toilet. No and no. He sighed, hands hitched on his hips. He scanned the room for the fifth time.

Nada.

“Oh my God,” Steve raked his hand down his face. “Why did you do this, you asshole?” He slumped down onto the floor and glared at him. “Why?” This time it wasn’t directed at Billy so much as it wasn’t directed at God who was undoubtedly smiling down at him and laughing.

Billy giggled. “You’re funny, Harrington. And dramatic.”

Steve glared at him. “Stop. Talking.”

It’s a quarter to eleven and the party doesn’t show any signs of stopping and when it does he’s sure no one’s going to be coming down the basement stairs. Everyone’s gonna either go home or fall face down drunk…and they’ll be here.

Trapped.

“I shouldn’t have even come,” Steve groaned with his palms pressed to his face. “I should’ve just stayed home.”

“Me too,” Billy agreed. “Should’ve stayed home, wouldn’t be here. We’re a couple of idiots, Harrington.”

Steve lifted his head to glare at him. “This is literally and solely your fault. I’m not an idiot, you’re just an asshole.”

Billy laughed again, mockingly. “You’re an idiot for following me down here. I didn’t even have to make you.”

Steve’s mouth snapped shut.

Touche.

He leaned his head against the bathroom wall and shut his eyes. Maybe he would fall asleep. Maybe they both would, Billy certainly looked like he could. His eyes haven’t been completely open since he hunkered down in the bathtub.

Steve listened to muted pop playing one floor above them for what felt like hours, unfortunately, it was probably minutes.

It had to be, because Billy wasn’t sleeping he was humming–loudly.

Steve opened his eyes to look at him. “Can I…help you?”

Billy hummed the low, sad song, while his head rocked back and forth slowly. Billy stopped to speak. “You like Elvis, Harrington?”

“I don’t know, I guess?” He shrugged.

Billy made a loud buzzer sound. “Either you like him or you don’t, he’s the king, King.”

“Fine, then I like Elvis.”

“Good to know a pretty boy like you can hang,” Billy said.

Steve sat there for a moment trying to decipher what that meant. Billy’s eyelids had rolled shut again. Can hang? Like liking Elvis makes him cool? Not in this decade.

Steve slapped the toe of Billy’s shoe. “Listen man, you can trap me in a fucking bathroom, but you can’t just sleep all night while I have to listen Air Supply through the ceiling.”

Billy grinned, he started to chuckle. “You know, you’re funny too, Harrington,” Billy’s grin spread into a smile, his tongue peaked between his teeth. “Yeah, you’re real funny.”

“You already said that,” Steve said.

“Well, it’s true. I meant it.”

Steve realized, then, he was serious. No jokes. No dickish assholery. Big surprise, the guy who had been saying he ‘means it’ the whole night, actually meant it. “Oh,” Steve bit the inside of his cheek. “Uh, thanks.”

Billy nodded. “No problem.”

“So,” Steve itched his nose. He felt itchy and hot. “You wanna just uh…talk until we fall asleep?” “What like pillow talk?” Billy said.

Steve winced. He knew he was blushing at this point, only Billy, drunk and painfully blunt would say that.

“No, that’s not…why would you–?”

Billy cackled. “I don’t even have to look at you to see your face right now.” He did anyway though. Billy looked at him with syrupy sweet blue eyes and a pleasant smile. “Did that one get you in a twist, Harrington? You seem like the type to be into pillow talk.”

Billy watched the flush spread down his neck and Steve’s lips curl up. “What does that…that’s not even an insult.”

“It isn’t,” he replied. “It’s an ob-ser-vation.” Billy’s eyes focused on him, “you wanna talk?”

Steve huffed. “Well, now I don’t.”

“I’ll play nice,” Billy said with obvious teeth. “C’mon, maybe talking with you will jog my memory.” He seriously doubted that, but Billy was going to say anything to get what he wanted including insults. “Fine,” he groaned. “What do you wanna talk about?”

Billy stood with a loud grunt. Steve watched him wobble before getting one leg over the tub and then another.

He dropped down next to him–too close like Billy always seems to be.

“What’s your deal with Ronnie Rothslinger?” Billy asked, leaning in.

Steve’s face screwed up. “My tutor? And it’s not Ronnie, it’s Veronica.”

Billy’s face was a myriad of emotions, finally settling on something similar to the face of a small child that’s accidentally dropped a very important piece of china. “Oh,” he said quietly.

He scoffed. “Yeah, no, me and Veronica, are…” he shrugged. “Trust me, she’s not uh…we’re not like that.”

“What? She’s not into you?” Billy prodded.

Steve scoffed. “Yeah, no, and, again, Hargrove, she’s my tutor, we, like, talk about math. There’s no ‘into’ anything.”

“You don’t like her?” Billy asked as if ‘there’s no ‘into’ anything’ didn’t mean shit.

“No,” Steve said exasperatedly. “I mean like she’s kind of an okay friend but I don’t like her, like her, you know?”

Billy seemed satisfied with that answer. Steve didn’t even know he was looking for a certain one. He nodded. “You got a thing smart chicks, I just thought…” Billy stopped. “I don’t know what I thought.”

“Yeah.”

Things were silent for a beat. Billy’s eyes had shut and for a minute Steve genuinely thought he’d fallen asleep, his head was tilted towards him, mouth a little slack.

“Billy?”

“Hmm?” He hummed.

“Why’d you lock me in here, anyway?”

Billy opened his eyes just enough to look at him through those insanely dark lashes that not even Steve could ignore. “Just wanted to hang out, s’not every day my presence is graced by the likes of you, your highness.”

“Jesus,” Steve rolled his eyes.

“Wasn’t joking around, Harrington,” Billy said.

Steve nudged him and with a small smirk. “Oh, what? Like you missed me, Hargrove?”

“Maybe.”

What is this? Honesty hour?

Steve turned to look at him only for Billy to be staring right back at him like he’d never been drunk at all, as if all the alcohol and humming and staggering had been an act. If he weren’t so red still he’d think it was.

His eyes darted around Billy’s face. They’re not really friends, barely acquaintances besides egging each other. Steve knew Billy the same way he knew tugging on pigtails and wet willies and gross jokes.

Familiar. Fun. Fleeting.

Billy looked at him like he was a vision, a dream. THE dream. That look like in the right story, in the right time they’d get in a car and drive away straight to the coast.

They barely even know each other, and Steve still kind of wanted it. Billy ran his tongue across his bottom lip, “you ever kiss a guy before, Harrington?”

“Yeah,” Steve whispered softly over the sound of muted music. “Once.”

“I haven’t,” Billy said. It was quiet and soft and forlorn, like he was embarrassed and too drunk to do anything about it.

Billy’s probably in the majority, but something tells him that’s not what he wanted to hear. Billy;s head sloped down to his shoulder, Steve felt his curls tickle his ears.

“You will,” Steve said. “One day.”

“Thanks.”

#harringrove #stranger things #i threw in some virgin billy cause i know that's your main squeeze #I hope you like it #send me stuff #my writing

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gwen-writes-stuff · 5 years

Text

Secret Girlfriend

Imagine : You being old friends with Tom and you appear on his Livestream, Everyone thinks you're his secret girlfriend.

Word count : 2312

[ Note : I'm sorry but Famous! Y/N us my favorite to write. Btw, I accept requests.]

Y/N's POV

I was inside an uber watching the beautiful streets of London come into view, My plane landed and I immediately called an uber filled with excitement to meet my best friend.

We have both been away, him filming Civil War and me filming for a show under Syfy that's soon to be announced.

I was delighted to find out my best friend was Spider-Man! Heck, I'd do anything to play superhero roles. Have kids look up to you and wear cool costumes? I'm so in.

He's staying at his parents' house to my relief, I've missed Nikki, Dom and the boys. It's been a while and tho I fulfilled my dream of being an actress with Tom, we kind of drifted apart.

He was big now and famous, It's no surprise his fame will only grow bigger now that he's sure to have a solo movie.

Not long later I arrived and the sight of the house sent my heart racing, the memories I had in this house came flooding in.

I got reminded of the silly crush for Tom I formed when I was 14 and now I'm 20, I can't say I don't like him anymore.

We've called and texted each other but I never got around to ask him to FaceTime so I only ever saw his face on the internet, mostly because I'm following his Instagram and he grew up to be so fine.

I payed the driver and I glanced down at my luggage, Taking deep breaths to calm the beating of my heart I fixed my hair that was slightly messed up because of the strong wind.

I walked to the front door, Dragging my luggage behind and before I could even even knock, It opened. Paddy was grinning widely at me and he honestly looked taller than the did the last time I saw him.

"Y/N!!"He didn't even bother letting me in first and ran to hug me, he only managed to wrap his hands around my waist tho. I messed with this hair playfully.

I was chuckling loudly as I hug him back, "Paddy! Let Y/N in first." I hear Nikki scold her youngest. "I missed you too bud." I looked down at Paddy and he had the widest grin.

Eventually he let me go and I walked in, Almost forgetting about my luggage when Paddy gladly pushed it in but I laughed because he had to put in effort. It was heavy though I don't plan to stay that long.

I'm only gonna be having dinner and going to a hotel my mom booked for me, Unfortunately she's in the Bahamas with my dad but they did sent their love.

"Y/N let me get a good look at you." Nikki backed away to scan me before wrapping me in a warm hug, After she let go I turned to Dom and hugged him. “You're now a lady!”

"You've grown!" Dom exclaimed and I smiled sheepishly, "Sam, Harry, Tom get in here!" Nikki called out and I awkwardly stood in their living room waiting while Paddy curiously look at my luggage stickers.

"Is Y/N here?" I heard a familiar voice ask and before I know it I was again caged between someone's arms. That someone being Sam and it didn't help that Harry joined in, I coughed jokingly and they let go with wide eyes.

"You guys smell surprisingly pleasant." I joked and both smirked at my remark, "Easy, We might think you're getting a crush." Harry fired back and I scoffed faking offence.

"You're too young for me." I replied crossing my arms seeing the married couple watch us with genuine smiles in the corner of my eyes.

"You're only a year older." Sam replied, almost sounding like a question and I nodded.

"Exactly." Now I realised something, I looked around trying to find the only Holland who haven't greeted me yet and there I see him at the end of the staircase standing cooly.

Watching the exchange like he wasn't supposed to join in and I raised a brow, "Well someone didn't miss me.",Tom rolled his eyes and walked over to hug me tightly.

He even lifted me up a little and I slapped his back, looking over his shoulder I can see Sam and Harry make faces and I stifle a laugh.

I pulled away and Tom had grown Taller, my guess is I'm an inch shorter but I feel like he's towering over me for some reasons.

"Right. Dinner!" Paddy jumped and I frowned to check my watch,It was only 4pm.

***

I am helping Nikki in the kitchen with Paddy watching and assisting every now and then while the rest play in the living room.

That was how it went til Tom walked in to offer setting up the table, Nikki quickly shot me a look. "Y/N and Tom you set up the table." Tom nodded slowly narrowing his eyes at his mother and I noticed but thought nothing of it.

While I reached for spoons and forks I see Nikki send me a smile, a knowing smile that confused me.

"So how have you been Spidey?", I asked him while I set a few plates down the table with matching spoons and forks.

He chuckled lowly at the nickname and looked up to see I had a brow raised, "The same." He boringly replied and I rolled my eyes.

"So you're still 19 and feeling just a tad bit rebellious?" I asked with a teasing tone and he shot me a look, Glaring half-heartedly.

"I mean I'm still me. Charming and irresistible." I almost dropped the glass I was now moving and he laughed seeing the event unfold.

"I've been gone for a few years and I come back to have your head so big." I tsk'd jokingly while shaking my head.

If only he knew that's exactly how I looked at him. I was away for two years but that didn't change the way I feel about him, I thought it was for the best.

Knowing myself, I never stood a chance. His past ex-girlfriends when we were in high school are goddesses and I can't even compare, he's way hotter now so I'm saving myself the heartache.

But.

I didn't move on. Instead my feelings for him got stronger over the time I was away, I'm in for a big heartbreak!

During dinner we exchanged stories. I told them about the show I was in, It was about college students who discovered there was more to their stories, Studying in a school for magic they will learn that a man who calls himself the 'beast' is after them.

((This show actually exists, Please watch it. It's amazing. The Magicians on Syfy!))

"Tom's Spider-Man and you're a Magician?" Paddy asked with his eyes lit up like he was just told we're going to Disneyland and I nodded.

"Too bad I don't get a wand tho." Earning soft chuckles from the table. The food was great and Nikki really improved, not that her cooking was bad before.

Tom was sat next to me and I had to fight the urge to blush everytime our hands accidentally brush.

"So Y/N, Are you staying for the night?" Dom asked and I shook my head, Failing to miss Paddy pout and send his mom a pleading look which Nikki didn't need to see since her decision seems to be made in the first place.

"Why not stay with us? Your parents are away and you were gone for 2 years, stay." Nikki spoke up and there was silence.

I considered my options and nibbled on my lower lip unconciously doing so, I subtly sneaked a glance at Tom who seemed to be studying me and I gave in when he caught my eyes and he shortly nodded.

"Okay. But where will I sleep?" I practically grew up in this house so I know for a fact that the Hollands don't have a guest room. I reached for the glass of water and began to take sips when:

"In Tom's room of course." I almost spat it out and instead downed it real hard that I was a coughing mess. I can see Sam and Harry wiggle their eyebrows suggestively but I just literally drowned on a glass of water!

Tom was rubbing my back with his hand and I'm sorry but he's not helping because his touch is sending waves of electricity all over my body.

"You guys share a bed all the time?", Yes. When we were like 10 and we're both grown adults now?

"Uhh yea." I didn't bother to argue because the smile on Nikki's face suggested that I wasn't going to win anyways.

***

3rd Person's POV

The night ended awkwardly. Tom offered to sleep on the couch but Y/N insisted that it was his bed so he should sleep on it.

This went on for half an hour till Y/N made the bold move of suggesting they both sleep on the bed or not at all which ended with the two of them laying in bed, backs turned on each other with a pillow in the middle acting as a barricade.

The next morning was not any better when Tom woke up to find Y/N clinging to him in her sleep, he took pictures for leverage and slid off the bed.

Standing at the foot to stare at her for a moment noticing that she was wearing his hoodie, Y/N was too lazy to open her luggage so she digged through his closet not bothering to ask.

Tom went in the bathroom to do all he needed before starting the day. He planned to have breakfast with Y/N and contemplated waking her up.

If his memory served him right, she would throw you out the window if you even do as much as shake her to wake so instead he sat down on the space beside her, leaning against the headboard and scrolling through his Instagram.

Then an idea sparked up, he went on live to talk about the experience trying his best not to spoil any important scene in the movie. He was yelling too loud for 5 in the morning and talking animatedly sounding like a child on sugar.

While he was fanboying about rdj Y/N groaned and smacked Tom's side. "You're fucking loud." Tom was caught off guard that he forgot he was livestreaming and she got on the frame without both of their knowledge.

"Good Morning to you too sunshine." Tom cooed and Y/N laughed pushing herself up to look at Tom, "No good in the morning when you're yelling about Robert Downey Jr." She sassily remarked making Tom chuckle.

"What are you even doing anyways?" she asked trying to fix her disheveled hair and Tom shrugged, "Oh I was just live... streaming!" Tom jumped up and realized he has been broadcasting their exchange and Y/N looked up at him in horror.

Tom checked his phone to see his followers blowing up the comment section and he cursed under his breath, Turning it off without so much a goodbye.

"Shit." He muttered staring into nowhere like he was in a trance and Y/N threw a random pillow at him.

"I hate you." She was smiling nonetheless and Tom couldn't bring himself to tell her a few of what the comments said.

Did I see that right?

Tom has a girl on his bed!!

Oh no who's that?

Tangina sino yan?

Is that his girlfriend?

They look kinda cute together

She's kinds pretty

Same. Both a whole-ass mood.

Người nào?

SHE'S WEARING HIS HOODIE RED ALERT RED ALERT RED ALERT. THEY PROBABLY DID THE MONKEY DANCE OMGOMGOMG

***

The two had breakfast like Tom had originally planned and both went to McDonald's for breakfast of all places.

It wasn't crowded and none of them had to worry about fans or paparazzis for the whole two hours they spent just eating and talking while Y/N share experiences on set with Tom who did the same.

"I so wanna play a superhero." She exclaimed, "You can be my sidekick!" Tom offered and Y/N threw a balled up napkin and threw it at his head, it landed on his forehead.

"Spider-Man doesn't have a sidekick." But she blushed at the thought of playing in a movie together with Tom.

Both practiced and took classes together so they should be comfortable enough acting around one another.

Tom pulled out his phone and poked Y/N's cheek when she seemed to be deep in thoughts. "Hey let's take a picture."

She lifted her head and nodded shortly, Tom stretched his hand to have the phone directed at their faces and Y/N threw a peace sign while Tom had his tongue out.

"Please don't tell me you're posting that." She asked with a groan and Tom smirked at her. "Tom. I look like shit."

She didn't make an effort to dress up so she threw on a sweatpants and a (favorite band) t-shirt. Her hair was everywhere and she had too little energy to put on makeup.

"You look beautiful." His comment made her heart skip a beat and she was too flustered she couldn't retort when he posted the photo on his Instagram.

@tomholland2013 uploaded a photo on Instagram :

1 user tagged : @( your ig username)

[Photo]

tomholland2013 : Breakfast with my main g✌️

Comment section :

Y/N4life : Is that seriously @(Y/IG/U)???

hollander_love : Tom's got himself a girl woot woot

harryholland64 : That's why you two disappeared!

peterparkour.s : THE GIRL FROM THE LIVE

tom.holland.fans : The girl frkm the livestre ahhh !!

y/nstagra.m : They're childhood friends✌️

tommy.hollander : I ship it.

#tom holland one shot #tom holland #tom holland smut #tom holland imagines #avengers #spider man smut #spider man imagines #spider man #hollander

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lisa-in-the-sky · 6 years

Text

a meemee

from @rooonil-waazlib RULES: List the openings of the last ten stories you published. Look to see if there are any patterns that you notice yourself, and see if anyone else notices any! Then tag some friends. turns out i have exactly 10 published fics

1. The woman coming out of the corner store gave Steve a slightly disturbed look. Steve couldn’t blame her, really, seeing as she had passed him pacing the same ten-foot strip of sidewalk on her way into the store twenty minutes earlier. He tried to smile and nod when they made eye contact. She looked away quickly and sped up.

2. “What about Tinder?” Steve said. “People find short dates on Tinder all the time.” “Jesus,” Sam said over the rim of his glass. “Just tell your mom you don’t have a boyfriend! Tinder. Shit.” He finished his drink, shaking his head. “No,” Steve insisted. “Then I’ll spend all of New Year’s Eve with her foisting every eligible person in a ten-mile radius on me. I can’t do it anymore.” Sam scoffed. “So you really can’t come up with any other solution than bring a fake boyfriend home for the holidays.”

3. It starts with the birds. Sam can sense their distress from the way they flap into flight, feathers foaming around his feet. He hugs the fire escape tight. Pigeons. They’re fine, they follow him everywhere and keep him wise to the ground-level, or the sky-level, or wherever he’s not. But right now, they're losing it. They flutter past, little machine-gun wings beating by his face, all too fast to understand what they’re saying. It’s fear, Sam thinks.

4. The club was dark, hot, too many people pressed too close together. It was perfect, really, because Steve almost never got this kind of anonymity when he was in public. Here, it seemed, either no one cared or they were too drunk.

5. Bucky’s in the apartment when Sam and Steve get back from the grocery store. The record player is on, warbling out “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and Bucky is singing along, doing all the parts, loud enough for them to hear. Steve stiffens slightly at the sound, a brief look of hope crossing his face. Sam sighs.

6. “Hot enough in here?” The bathroom looks like a sauna. Steam curls up into the air, heavy and warm, settling on Steve’s skin like a blanket. He smiles. Bucky’s hair is starting to curl from the humidity, damp flyaways escaping from the bun Natasha showed him how to do. “It is now that you’re here.” Bucky gives Steve a cheesy wink but doesn’t move from where he’s lounging with his arms thrown over the side of the tub.

7. Steve hits the mat with a smack. Sharon’s knee lands on his back and she twists Steve’s arm back roughly and presses him down. Steve sighs while she laughs and Natasha leans down to smirk at Steve under the ropes. “You’re off your game, Rogers,” she says. Steve scowls at her. It loses some effect with the way his face is smashed into the mat. Her smirk broadens. “Thanks,” he mutters. “I hadn’t noticed.”

8. The problem with curses - or prophecies, or destiny - was that they tended to be a bit self-fulfilling, Steve had decided. Oedipus wouldn’t have actually killed his father and fucked his mother if no one had brought it up to begin with and scared them into getting rid of him. Self-fulfilling. Curses caused fear, which was all they were meant to do, in the end, and that fear made people act like morons. And assholes. And then everyone ended up unhappy.

9. "So we're putting up Christmas decorations on Thursday," Gojyo says from under Sanzo's car. "And?" Sanzo doesn't even look up from his newspaper. "And you're expected to be there, asshole." Sanzo snorts. "I'm an atheist."

10. Jake stumbled out of Hotwire, grimacing at the heat. His face hurt, and he was sticky with sweat and lube. The fact that it was after midnight had done nothing for the heat or the humidity in the Miami air, and being outside didn't actually feel much different from being in Hotwire. He shoved his winnings into a boot, then pulled off his shirt. It didn't help. With a sigh and a grumble, Jake headed toward his car.

uhhh patterns. um. i start with jokes a lot? the last two aren’t even from my usual fandom. (pretty sure i peaked with #9 there it’s so fuckin cute) does anyone who follows me even recognize it? i feel like i have no saiyuki followers but if i do please do the thing so i can read your fic and also when are we gonna get an update D: anyway i’m gonna tag. uh. @unclesamwilson who actually wrote the lines of #3 lol and @theputterer @nejineeee and @redwriteblue

#memes #or smth #fic stuff #my saiyuki fic is not embarrassingly bad and i don't know if that means i haven't improved as a writer or what #shrug #whatever

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jxpper · 6 years

Text

You Only Roast The Ones You Love

So, like I’ve said in a previous post, I think as teens, Jim and Joyce had one of those relationships where anything was said. As if they just continuously roasted each other every chance they get. So, in a haze of insomnia, I wrote out my best.

and thanks to @letihasideas @paleanddepressed1 @konnib for asking me to post this because I really wanted to, but I didn’t have the balls.

Obviously, some of these are offensive but fear not, I’ve listed them from least to most controversial. If you cant handle a little humor then please don’t read it. I live for offensive, mean, terribly wrong humor so if you can’t deal, then don’t. The first few aren't bad but idk, I know the inevitable asshole will come along and tell me how I’m going to hell for this.

Karen's fingers worked the complicated numbers to unlock her locker. "What did you get on your SAT's, Joyce?" she asked with a smile. "Mayonnaise." Hopper interrupted without missing a beat before Joyce could reply.

“Excuse me, it was barbeque sauce you idiot,” Joyce replied with a smile

Hopper trudged into school with a scowl as he saw Joyce waiting at his locker. He had been in a fist fight with Lonnie Byers the previous evening outside of Benny's dad's restaurant. He was pretty embarrassed to say that Byers' right hook had taken out his front tooth and he had tried to keep his mouth closed but when he saw Joyce, a smile crept onto his face. "Hopper, how many times did I tell you that you can't open beer bottles with your teeth." Joyce laughed hysterically as Jim frowned.

"You know Horowitz, you remind me of the new exchange student," Hop said as they walked down the hall to class. "How?" she asked with her nose scrunched up. "His name is Ug Lee." Jim laughed ridiculously as Joyce rolled her eyes. "I bet you stayed up all night writing that one. Did you rehearse it with your mom too?" she replied as she nudged him in the shoulder.

Hopper stood up in the front of the classroom as he began his oral report.

"Life is like a box of chocolates, which in Horowitz' case it doesn't last very long." He started. As everybody stared at him in shock, Joyce smacked her desk as she fell over laughing. It was safe to say that Mr. Cooper wasn't very impressed.

Hopper groaned as he slouched down in his seat next to Joyce "My doctor told me I might have diabetes when I went in for my physical. I guess it runs in the family." "Nothing runs in your family, fatass." she laughed as she pulled out her textbooks

The two best friends were walking down Maple street when Hopper saw a "for sale" sign on the corner. "Joyce, I'm sorry to see you're not gonna have a place to work anymore." he laughed as he pointed to the sign. “I’ll miss seeing you work your favorite corner.” "Jesus, Hop." Joyce huffed with a giggle. "It's a little too late for Jesus to save you," Hopper replied, only making Joyce laugh harder.

Joyce picked up the ringing phone in her room as she set down her homework. "Jo, guess what," Hopper said excitedly through the line. "You finally got Chrissy Carpenter in the backseat of your car? Honestly Hop, I'm surprised she didn't run away screaming from the sight of your microcephalic penis." Joyce giggled in reply.

"There she is! Looking as beautiful as never." Hop laughed as he walked down the hall towards Joyce. "Fuck you." she laughed with her middle finger high. "Nice pubetache you're growing, I've never seen an upper lip have a bad hair day"

"How do I look?" Hopper asked with enthusiasm. "Like the E. Coli that is crawling on the floor of an inner city Howard Johnson's" Joyce laughed before nudging him. “I’m kidding Hop, you’re salmonella at the most.”

Jim tumbled onto the hard basketball court as John Henderson pushed him from his attempted slam dunk. "Did you forget your helmet on the short bus, Jimmy?" Joyce laughed as she called over the co-ed class. "Screw you, Horowitz," Hop replied with a smile and a middle finger as he saw his best friend on the opposite end of the gym. "Yeah, you wish." came her quick-witted reply.

Joyce and Jim trailed along the auditorium of the school as Hawkins High hosted a college fair. "Was there anything you ever to grow up to be when you were a kid? Maybe you could fulfill your childhood dreams at NYU." a random professor asked as they walked by. "He wanted to be a cop when he grew up. You know what he became instead? HIV positive." Joyce's joke had Hopper crippled over in laughter as the professor gave them both an incredulous look.

Jim and Joyce were chatting amongst themselves in the school courtyard when a stout, curly headed boy came up to them. "Hi, I'm Bob Newby. I'm new here." the kid said to them as he stuck his hand out for them to shake. "This is Joyce. Her mom dropped her one too many times on her head as a baby so please excuse her for being a little derr-derr. A couple of her chromosomes got left on the floor." Jim joked as he twirled his finger around his head, implying that she was stupid. "This is Jim. His pastor hugged him a little too tightly as a kid so now he cries every time he's in the locker room." Joyce smiled as she shook Bob's hand. That was the last of them seeing Bob Newby, the kid who couldn’t handle these two.

#jopper #jopper shitpost #stranger things #stranger things 2 #strangerthings #strangerthings2 #stranger things shitpost #joyce x hopper #hopper x joyce #joyce byers #joyce and hopper #jim hopper #Joyce x Jim #joyce and jim #jim and joyce #jim x joyce #offensive humor

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i-write-stuff-its-ok · 7 years

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Petals and Ink part two

Summary: Michael heads back home with Jeremy still on his mind. Him and his sister talk about his new tattoo. Michael then exhausted goes to bed. The next day he goes to work having to face Christine and Brooke after standing them up and has to explain why he didn’t meet with them at the mall. Michael then gets a surprise visit from a special someone.

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: Very mild swearing.

Word count: 2393

Author's note: It’s one of my headcanons that Michael comes from a huge family with lots of siblings. Cathy Mell is a character me and my friend @daily-awkward-weirdo have created along with any other Mell family members mentioned as the story continues.

Michael pulled into the parking structure underneath the building. He Locked his car and took the elevator up to the lobby. The elevator inside was still broken so he took the stairs up to his apartment. His mind was still racing and all he wanted to do was go to bed. He walked up to his apartment and fumbled with the keys before unlocking the door and entering. He walked quietly fearing his sister might be asleep and he didn't want to wake her up. He closed the door behind him. “ Hey little bro what's up?” said a girl in the kitchen. She was sitting on the counter mixing a bowl of what looked like frosting. Her dark raven hair was pulled up in a messy bun, her square framed glasses slid down her face. Her yellow sweater had flour sprinkled on it and her long fuzzy socks were falling down. “ Cath it’s almost one in the morning why are you still up?” Michael asked. “ Shouldn’t I be asking you the same thing?” she smirked. “ What were you doing? Huh? Why are you just getting home? Are you in a secret relationship that I don’t know about? I'm your big sister you can't hide these things from me.” Cathy said. “ No I just did something.” Michael said. “ What? Come on tell me. Please. As your roommate, sister, and best friend I have a right to know. Did you kill someone?” she prodded. “ No!” Michael cried out annoyed. “ Then what was it?” she begged. Michael sighed exasperated before lifting his right sleeve to reveal his new tattoo. “ Michael Armando Mell, Mom is gonna kill you.” Cathy said her jaw dropping at the sight of what her brother had done. “ I know that is why I’m not gonna tell her.” Michael stated. “ How the hell are you planning on hiding that from her, it’s on your wrist!” Cathy said smacking her brother's arm lightly. “ I was gonna borrow your fondation, duh.” he said nonchalantly. “ What on earth makes you think I’m gonna let you use my make up?” Cathy said snidely. “ I didn’t say I was gonna ask first.” Michael smirked. “ Uggg. You are impossible.” Cathy groaned, adjusting her glasses. “ Now answer my question, why are up?” Michael asked. “ I got an idea for a new recipe. Marshmallow lemon cupcakes.” Cathy said. “ Fair enough.” Michael agreed as he sat down at the table. “ So what’s your plan for when Mom inevitably finds out about your tattoo. You can’t hide it forever.” Cathy asked as she licked some marshmallow frosting from her spoon. “ My plan is, is, I don’t know.” he admitted. “ She is gonna kill you I hope you know that.” Cathy said as she added more marshmallow fluff to the bowl. “ Eh, I lived long enough and fulfilled life.” Michael shrugged. “ If having a fulfilled life means being a single florist then I guess I’m doing something wrong.” Cathy teased. “ I’m not single I am in a committed relationship.” he protested. “ Your laptop isn’t a boyfriend.” “ Ugggggg.” “ You've been single your whole life Michael. Your eighteen isn't there anyone you like?” Cathy asked. Michael sat and thought. Was there anyone he liked. He has had a few small crushes there but no one that particularly popped out. There was no one he thought of who stood out to him lately. The only person he could think of was, no, no he dosen’t count. He had only known him for a few hours. He was a stranger. A really nice stranger. A really nice stranger with great taste in video games, and really pretty eyes, and a cute laugh , and amazing art skills ,and-. Cathy cut off Michaels racing thoughts. “ Hello, Earth to Michael Mell. You in there little bro?” Cathy snapped her fingers in front of Michael's face. “ What huh what happened?” Michael asked snapping out of his trance. “ You were all spaced out, you ok something on your mind?” Cathy looked concerned. “ No, I’m fine. I’m just tired. It’s late I’m gonna go to bed.” Michael rubbed his temples. “ Oh,ok. Goodnight.” Cathy said with a smile. “ G’night.” Michael walked into his room. Fairy lights were hung up on the walls and small plants where on almost every shelf. On top of a dresser was a glass tank with a small albino snake. “ Hello Daisy.” Michael said smiling as he pushed his face into the glass. The snake slithered up to the glass and she stuck her tongue out at Michael. He changed into an old t shirt and sweatpants and collapsed on to his bed. A small Calico cat dashed out from under the bed and jumped up on to the bed and rubbed against Michael. “Hi Cookie dough.” Michael pet the cat on his head. He sunk his head into his pillow and buried himself under the flowery covers and slowly fell asleep, the thought of Jeremy still on his mind.

Michael woke up to his alarm beeping. He sleepily looked over at his alarm clock and shut it off. It’s six am and he rolled out of bed and got dressed. He pulled on a purple sweater and light blue overalls and pink converse. He strolled into the kitchen and found Cathy frosting cupcakes sipping a cup of coffee. “ Morning.” she said with a yawn. “ Did you ever go to bed last night?” Michael asked. “ You didn't go to bed and stayed up all night baking again didn't you.” “ Ding ding ding, we have a winner.” Cathy joked. “ Cath you can’t do that ,this is your third all nighter this week. You need to get some sleep.” Michael scolded as he poured himself a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch. He sat down at the table and ate lazily. Cookie dough wandered into the room and rubbed against Cathy's leg purring. Michael finished up his cereal and put the bowl in the sink. He grabbed one of Cathy’s Lemon marshmallow cupcakes before leaving . “ I gotta get to work see ya Cath.” Michael said. “ See you later.” she replied as she gave Cookie dough belly rubs. “ And take a nap well I’m gone!” Michael shouted before closing the door. He walked down the stairs to the lobby and took the elevator to the parking complex below. He got into his car and drove off to Pastel Petals

Michael parked his car in front of the shop and walked in. Christine and Brooke were already inside. He gave the girls a wave. Christine turned away from Michael. “ Good morning Christine.” Michael said awkwardly. Christen said nothing. “ Is something wrong?” Michael asked. Christine elbowed Brooke. “ Christine told me to tell you that she’s not talking to you in till you explain yourself.” Brooke said firmly. “Explain myself?” He asked cocking his head to the side. “ Where were you yesterday we waited for hours!” Christine snapped. “ So much for not talking.” mumbled Brooke as she walked into the back. “ Oh… that..” Michael struggled to find the right words. “ And why didn’t you pick up your phone? I texted you like a bajillion times.” Christine said angrily. “ Look, I am so sorry but I got, well distracted.” He admitted. “ By what?” she asked mildly offended. “ Well you see I…there was this.. I mean there was a… a…” Michael didn’t know what to say. He gave up the idea of thinking up a believable lie, he just decided to tell the truth. “ There was… this..umm.. guy..and..well we started talking and we lost track of time. I’m really sorry.” Michael said red in the face. “ A guy? Was he cute?” Christine said slowly turning around. “ I-I mean, I mean h-he was I mean it’s n-not l-like I mean he…” Michael felt his face grow red, “ Yes. He was very cute.” he said his head in his hands blushing furiously. “ AHHHHHHHHHHHHH MICHAELS GOT A BOYFRIEND!” Christine screamed shaking Michael back and forth. Brooke rushed back in at the sound of Christine’s squeals. “ Michael has a boyfriend?” Brooke asked her interest peaking. “ He’s not my boyfriend.” Michael said embarrassed. “ Not yet.” Christine teased. “ Hey, what happened to being mad and not talking to me?” Michael asks. “ I retract my anger now that I know you had a proper excuse.” She smiled. “ Now I want details. What’s he look like? What are his hobbies? What’s his-” Christine’s rambling was cut off by Michael. “ Slow down I've only known him for a few hours.” “ Ok well then well at least tell us his name.” Brooke eager to know more about this mystery boy. “ Ok, ok. Well his name is-” ,the bell on the door ringed as a customer walked in Michael looked up to see, “ Jeremy?” Michael was shocked to see him standing there in the doorway. “ Hey Michael.” Jeremy said with a wave. “ W-what are you doing here?” Michael asked. “ Oh you know, I just was here to uhhh, get some flowers to, uh you know brighten up … the shop, ha ha.” Jeremy said with an awkward smile his eyes darting around. Michael could feel Christine and Brooke staring at him and Jeremy. “ Well a tattoo parlor is rather dark but I’m sure I can find something that will match the decor, I’ll be back.” Michael said before darting into the back to look at flowers but to mostly escape the stares of Christine and Brooke. After Michael left the girls turned their attention to Jeremy. “So…” said Brooke with a smirk. “ So..”, Christine said looking Jeremy up and down “ what are your intentions with Michael did you really come here for just flowers hmmmmmm? Or are you here for something else.” Christine was leaning over the counter. “ I…” Jeremy says shaken ,was he really that obvious. “ And let one thing be clear,” her voice got low, “ Michael is one of if not the nicest sweetest person I have ever met. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. And if he tells me anything ANYTHING at all about you hurting him. I. Will. Destroy. You. GOT IT!” She was nose to nose with Jeremy as she leaned over the counter practically on top of it. Jeremy gulped and nodded his head. “ Now onto the important stuff.”, said Brooke, “ How old are you?” “ I’m eighteen.” “ What's your favorite food?” “ Strong tie between pizza and sushi.” Brooke and Christine nodded at Jeremy's answers. “ Ok, favorite movie?” Christine asked. “ As nerdy as it sounds all the Harry Potter movies.” Jeremy said running his fingers through his hair. “ Favorite band?” asked Brooke. “ I listen to a lot of different stuff but my top three are Fall Out Boy, Jukebox The Ghost, and Twenty One Pilots.” Jeremy said with an awkward smile. “ Do you have any tattoos?” Christine asked raising her eyebrow. “ Just a few.” Jeremy said as he took off his jacket to reveal small tattoos of constellations and planets on his arms and a shooting star on his right wrist. “ Wow, those are so pretty.” Brooke said staring at the drawings. “ Thanks, I designed them myself.” Jeremy said smiling. “ Whoa.” the girls said in unison. “ Final questions.” Christine said straightening up. “ Do you like musical theater, and if so what’s your favorite musical?” “ I love musicals actually. And I love Dear Evan Hansen. I cry every time.” Christine got out from behind the counter and circled Jeremy. “ Oh I like you.” Christine said nodding. “ Ummm, thank you?” Jeremy said starting to feel awkward again. Michael walked back in with a white lilies and lavender sprigs planted in a dark purple pot. He saw Christine circling around a very uncomfortable Jeremy. “ Christine! What are you doing to him?” Michael asked in horror dropping the flower pot. It broke on the ground making a mess. “ Shit I, Uggggg. I’ll clean this up just give me a second.” he ran into back to grab a broom and dust pan. Michael came back out and started to clean up. “ Here let me help.” Jeremy said as he walked over and picked up the dust pan. “ Oh, y-you don’t have to.” Michael stammered. “ No no i-it’s fine, it’s nothing.” Jeremy said with a lopsided smile. Jeremy sat down and held the dust pan as Michael swept up the dirt. “ Sorry about, you know.” Michael said glancing over to the girls who were arranging a new bouquet of flowers. “ It’s ok.” Jeremy said turning pink. After the mess was cleaned up they walked over to the counter and Michael rang Jeremy up for his plants. “ Thanks these are really nice.” Jeremy said glancing off to the side. “ It’s nothing, just my job.” Michael said. Jeremy picked up the plant and grabbed a business card before heading out. “See you around.” Jeremy said with a wave. “ Bye.” Michael said waving back watching him as he walked away. He sighed longingly as he stared out the window towards where Jeremy walked off. Suddenly loud squeals filled the shop. The girls shouted in delight scaring Michael. “ I like him.” Christine beamed. “Me to!” Brooke agreed in delight. “So you gonna ask him out?” Brooke teased. “ What no I what? I don’t I mean I don’t, I can’t ” Michael stammered burying his head in his hands. “ Awww your so cute.” Christine teased. “ Somebodies in love!” Brooke smiled as she poked Michaels face. “ Shut up.” he blushed.

The day continued on as normal the Pastel Petals wasn’t very busy. A few customers wandered in here and there but it was a very slow day. Michael sat at the front counter scrolling threw his phone. Suddenly the stores phone range. Michael answered, “ Hello thank you for calling Pastel Petals. My name is Michael, how can I make your day a brighter bouquet.” A familiar voice was on the other line. “ Hey Ith thith Michael?” the voice asked. “ Yes this is Michael speaking, who is this?” he asked. “ Thith ith Rich from Needlepoint Tattoos. I have a qethtion.” Rich said. Michael heard a muffled voice in the background. “ Please don’t do this Rich oh my god. No please don’t.” the muffled voice said. “ Yeah tho um my friend and I have a, ummm bet going.” Rich continued. “ Rich don’t ask him I don’t need you to, please this is invasive.” the voice panicked. “ Are you gay?” Rich asked casually. “ This is humiliating.” whined the voice. “ I umm w-what?” Michael stammered. “ Are you gay?” Rich asked.

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